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Andy 50

Andy 50

The new Star Wars canon will have it's first gay character added with the release of Star Wars: Lords of the Sith this April.Upcoming novel, Lords of the Sith by Paul S Kemp will introduce the character of Moff Mors, Del Rey editor Shelly Shapiro has confirmed. Shapiro described the character as an Imperial who is an "extremely capable leader" and "also happens to be a lesbian".

Previous instances of same-sex relationships in the Star Wars universe have had a degree of ambiguity, such as Karen Traviss's addition to the decanonized Legacy of the Force series of Goran Beviin and Medrit Vasur, two Mandalorian men who were in a committed same-sex relationship and intended to marry.The reference was felt to be very subtle and many readers missed it completely.

Same-sex relationships have also been explored in Star Wars gaming: BioWare's Knights of the Old Republic series allowed players to form relationships regardless of gender. But the message has been inconsistent, too: When the game series' spiritual successor The Old Republic launched, only heterosexual relationships were allowed, with the words 'gay' and 'lesbian' being censored with BioWare reasoning that they did not exist in Star Wars universe. The MMO's expansion pack Rise of the Hutt Cartel​ reintroduced same-sex relationships, but wa criticized for seemingly segregating the galaxy's LGBT citizens to a single planet.

During an interview with Big Shiny Robot Shapiro welcomed the introduction of further diversity in the Star Wars universe. She stated that the addition of the character wasn't about making a statement, explaining that more diversity "just makes sense". Author, Paul S Kemp, similarly praised the new-found inclusiveness of the Star Wars universe.

Star Wars: Lords of the Sith, by Paul S Kemp, is available from 28th April 2015.

While wading through the treacherous universe of the Star Wars saga, you will inevitably have come across the word "canon", but just what does that mean?

What is Canon?
The short answer is that Star Wars Canon is the official story of the Star Wars universe.
The longer, more specific answer, is that the official canon consists of the Star Wars movies, The Clone Wars and Rebels animated TV shows, and any material published after 25th April 2014.
There are a few exceptions to the above rule, and how we got here needs a little more explanation.

The Expanded Universe
Shortly after Disney acquired Lucasfilm and the Star Wars franchise, the Lucasfilm Story Group was created to redefine canon by decided which stories and events are officially recognised as being the true story of Star Wars. As a result, the vast majority of the Star Wars Expanded Universe (now known as Star Wars Legends) was stripped of it's canon status.
If you're not familiar with the Expanded Universe, it was a multi-layered monster of interconnected stories, some of which were more important than others. George Lucas and Lucasfilm did not originally set any standards when it came to canon, so by the early 1990s that job had been taken on by the publishing division, Lucas Licensing.
Unlike the equal status of the current canon, the Expanded Universe has several levels:
G-canon (standing for George or Gospel, depending on who you ask) included the movies themselves, and any statements or explanation from George Lucas himself. Anything that contradicted the movies was definitely not canon.
T-canon was created for The Clone Wars television series, and would have included other television projects, had they materialised.
C-canon, or Continuity canon, formed the bulk of the Expanded Universe. Novels, comics, games, cartoons, and television movies usually fell into this category.
S-canon is secondary canon, and was usually older material that predated efforts to ensure continuity. It was mainly used for reference where it wasn't contradicted by something higher up the list. Many older stories were promoted to C-canon.
D-canon was used for material from the Star Wars Detours animated series.
N-canon was not considered canon, such as the Infinities stories.
It's worth noting that George Lucas never considered the Expanded Universe to be part of his vision for Star Wars, and described the movies and the EU as being two separate worlds.
So there you have it, you are now fully armed to explore the Star Wars universe and know whether you are reading official canon or not!

Star Wars: Lords of the Sith is a novel by Paul S Kemp that, as the title suggests, focuses on Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader.

Publisher's summary
When the Emperor and his notorious apprentice, Darth Vader, find themselves stranded in the middle of insurgent action on an inhospitable planet, they must rely on each other, the Force, and their own ruthlessness to prevail.
"It appears things are as you suspected, Lord Vader. We are indeed hunted."
Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, is just a memory. Darth Vader, newly anointed Sith Lord, is ascendant. The Emperor’s chosen apprentice has swiftly proven his loyalty to the dark side. Still, the history of the Sith Order is one of duplicity, betrayal, and acolytes violently usurping their Masters—and the truest measure of Vader’s allegiance has yet to be taken. Until now.
On Ryloth, a planet crucial to the growing Empire as a source of slave labor and the narcotic known as "spice," an aggressive resistance movement has arisen, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. But Emperor Palpatine means to control the embattled world and its precious resources—by political power or firepower—and he will be neither intimidated nor denied. Accompanied by his merciless disciple, Darth Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure his will is done.
For Syndulla and Isval, it’s the opportunity to strike at the very heart of the ruthless dictatorship sweeping the galaxy. And for the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth becomes more than just a matter of putting down an insurrection: When an ambush sends them crashing to the planet’s surface, where inhospitable terrain and an army of resistance fighters await them, they will find their relationship tested as never before. With only their lightsabers, the dark side of the Force, and each other to depend on, the two Sith must decide if the brutal bond they share will make them victorious allies or lethal adversaries

Well, with the news that Thrawn would be rejoining the Star Wars canon, I thought it might be fun for us to banter over who should be next from the EU/Legends to gain entrance into Star Wars canon, whether in film form or TV show form or other media form.

I think you guys obviously know who I want. (But I find that one doubtful... depending on what and when we find out more about Luke's backstory post-ROTJ and pre-TFA).
But what are some others?